The third and fourth grade Apache Warriors of the Apache Elementary School in Peoria created more than 100 personalized Merry Christmas cards for our troops and veterans in Afghanistan and others who have returned to the Phoenix area.

This was part of a community partnering project between the art department and third and fourth grades at Apache, and the Youth Activities and Veterans Affairs committees at the Sun City  Elks.

The cards were presented to the Elks on Dec. 7, the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The lodge then arranged for the cards to be forwarded to the appropriate locations.

A typical card shared messages such as “Merry Christmas where you are, but get back here as soon as you can…from your new pal, Mikey.”

Representatives from the Sun City Elks lodge returned to Apache on Dec. 13 to thank all the third and fourth grade students for their thoughts and good wishes. In recognition of their partnering with the Elks, each student received an Elks pin from different parts of the country, designating them as “Junior Elks,” and each received a hand-held American flag.

 This is the third year that local school children from the Peoria and Dysart school districts have reached out to the men and women of our Armed Forces during this Christmas season with the Sun City Elks.